Behind Fake Smiles
by blueporing90
Summary: Allen always pretended everything was fine even if he knew it wasn’t, he smiled to anyone no matter what. It was the perfect disguise as some would say but what if someone could see right through him, someone like Lavi. AU Laven TykiAllen
1. Alone

**Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray Man or its characters.**

**Behind Fake Smiles**

**Chapter One:**

"Camera Stand By!"

"Lighting and Background Effect Okay!"

"Actors Ready!"

"D. Gray Man Episode Twenty Three: Vampire's Isolated Castle, Act Ten and... **Action!**"

--

"_I… love you, my sweet Alasdair." A blonde woman whispered, her eyelids slightly closed. Her body was frozen and she couldn't move. She smiled at the man beside her and slowly closed her eyes. "I'll love you always... as my vampire…" Her body fell lifelessly to the floor, the man known as Alasdair watched her as rain poured over them._

"_Sir Alasdair…." A white-haired boy approached the sobbing man and knelt beside him. "Sir Alasdair… are you alright?" He asked trying to find out if the older man was in any pain._

"_I… destroyed Elisa… Nell! I don't… I don't have anymore strength to live." Alasdair clutched his hand. His sobs and gasps grew even louder. Tears streamed from his eyes like the rain falling around them. Nell's eyes fell on the lifeless woman beside the sobbing Alasdair, her expression was visible, it conveyed happiness and contentment._

"_Your right arm is injured." The white-haired boy spoke turning once again to Alasdair who held the woman Akuma near him._

"_This… If I drink Akuma's blood again it would heal," He laughed nervously. "I've become such an unbelievable monster. I've been involved in the death of someone close to me… I want to die!" The white-haired teen's eyes widened, silence fell over the two. Nell bit his lip and grabbed Alasdair by his collar._

"_If it hurts you that much, then become an Exorcist. We Exorcists destroy Akuma, you destroyed the one you called Elisa. And if you continue, that will be the reason why you destroyed her… as long as you have a reason you can live. You are an apostle of God, that is enough proof for you to go on!"_

"_N-Nell," Alasdair cried even more and threw his head down. "I'm afraid…."_

"_I can't deny that I am not afraid," Nell gave a weak smile. " I know it's sad and painful to be an Exorcist but I am happy with my life, I am happy with the path I chose because I know my own reason and I'm going to stick with it up until my last breath I won't regret that I became an Exorcist."_

"_W-what is your reason then?" Alasdair asks._

"_My reason?" Nell smiled. "I want to save both Humans and Akumas, I want to become a destroyer who can save anybody."_

--

"And **Cut!**"

"Great job everyone!"

'Phew!' Allen sighed in relief as he stood, smiling at his two co-actors. They were all proud that it was finally done. Some of the crew handed them towels and congratulated them for finishing yet another episode. The director, a blond Chinese man named Bak Chan and his assistant, another Chinese man named Samo Han Wong approached immediately, wide smiles evident on their faces.

"Walker, Crowley, Eliade, Nicely done!" The director patted Allen on the back and stretched out his hand to both Eliade and Crowley.

"Thank you!" Was Allen's automatic reply.

"We've finally finished episode twenty three. I thought it would take us a week to finish this because of those plant props." Bak scratched his head, sighing in relief from a problem that was solved. "Good thing the graphic department was there."

"Yes." Wong agreed.

"Mr. Bak, is this our last take for today?" Allen asked, he felt exhausted from all the work he did. Acting was tiring in Allen's opinion, much more tiring than singing. He felt like taking a refreshing hot bath, probably because of the rain effect they put up and because it was starting to get cold. Bak nodded and excused himself, along with his assistant, from the three. Crowley and Eliade did the same, leaving the white-haired teen alone. Allen then reached for his mobile phone from his pocket and smiled. _'Maybe I should call Tyki.'_ He thought to himself as he dialed Tyki's number.

Allen, although he was cold, waited patiently for the phone to be answered. He sat at one of the seats reserved for staff and actors, one hand holding his phone to his left ear and another on the towel wiping his wet hair. Allen couldn't be more excited to tell Tyki that he has finished another episode.

Tyki and Allen have been dating for two years now. Though Tyki could be cold and rude, Allen still loved him. Occasional love spats were quite normal for them. Allen, despite the fact that Tyki was the one who causes problems, never ceases on forgiving him. Allen's friends pitied the young star and wished that Tyki would just go away from Allen Walker's life. They tried convincing the young teen to break up with that man but Allen simply refused. He told them that he loved Tyki Mikk much more than he loved himself and if he would lose him then its better off for him to die. Allen's friends could just pray that Tyki Mikk would stop hurting Allen and he could love him the way Allen does.

After seven consecutive tries of calling his phone, Allen gave up and decided to call Tyki's home. Somehow he knew what was to happen next.

"Uhm Hello? Tyki I—"

"_Hey its Tyki, I'm currently out right now, sorry you can't get through. Leave your name and your number and I'll get to you. __**BEEP!**__"_

Allen fell silent. His smile quickly faded, he paused for a moment and spoke.

"Uhm… Hi Tyki. I tried calling you several times on your phone but you didn't answer so I decided to call you here. Well… I-uhm, we just finished shooting another episode!" He laughed nervously, trying to sound happy. "I miss you, Tyki… I haven't seen you for so long now… I really miss you." He whispered, only Allen and the answering machine could hear.

"I love you… Bye." Allen quickly pulled away from his phone, biting his lip and wondered if Tyki was… avoiding him. Allen shook his head, almost dropping his phone in the process. Allen thought that if he did something bad this time, he didn't want to anger Tyki and lead them to another fight. Allen shook his head again and shut his eyes, convincing himself not to think that way.

"Allen-kun?" A familiar dark green-haired girl drew near him. Allen's eyes widened, recognizing the voice that was calling him.

"L-Lenalee…." He forced a smile.

"Hi Allen-kun, what are you doing?" She asked, and sat next to him looking curious.

"I— uh was calling Tyki." He replied, wiping his face with the towel. Lenalee frowned at the sound of the man's name.

"Oh… aren't you cold?"

"No, I'm not." Allen sneezed and sweat dropped knowing that he lied. Lenalee chuckled in the process.

"Come on, you should change. I'll walk you to your dressing room." She stood, smiling at Allen.

"No! No! It's okay I won't get lost." He nervously laughed. "And besides I know you're busy too."

"Seriously, Allen-kun I know you too much! I'm also done for today so don't worry about it, Come on!" She stood and pulled Allen to the door.

--

The two trailed off to Allen's dressing room. Lenalee patiently waited outside for the white-haired teen to finish changing into his dry clothes. The girl knew Allen very well, she knew about his problem with his boyfriend, she secretly hated Tyki and pitied Allen, so she did everything she could to make him happy. She also knew that Allen was burying himself with work so that he could ignore his thoughts that Tyki was avoiding him. Lenalee Lee was the sister of the President of Dark Organization Productions, Komui Lee. A sweet and caring nineteen-year-old girl who treated everyone like family. Since Allen was younger than her by a year, she treated him like a younger brother and was always there for him.

Allen couldn't wait to go home and rest, he was exhausted after all. Allen grabbed his bag and opened it, revealing his change of clothes. He then disappeared into the bathroom door and came out several minutes later in a stylish black jacket and pants that matched with his cap and sunglasses, he also wore a pair of leather knee high boots. The white-haired teen packed his things, getting ready to head home. He hung up his costume in the closet and opened the door, noticing Lenalee was still there.

"Lenalee, I thought you were leaving." Allen blinked.

"Well… I was thinking, could I ask a favor from you, please?" Lenalee sweetly smiled. Allen raised an eyebrow and scratched his head.

"Sure, what is it?" He gave out an exhausted sigh and smiled. Lenalee immediately grabbed Allen's two hands and stared at the younger teen's eyes.

"Could you accompany me? I wanted to get Komui-niisan something nice and I don't really know what would look good on him, so I thought if you would come with me then at least I can get an idea!" She giggled making Allen sweat drop again. "Oh please say yes!"_ 'Well so much for getting home early to rest, I was thinking of calling Tyki once more but— then again he might not answer me. Oh well at least I won't be alone again.'_ Allen told himself.

"Sure." He nodded, the dark green-haired girl then pulled Allen to the nearest exit and they made their way to the building's car park.

--

A male figure walked along the dirty alleyways of downtown Green Meadows. He appeared to be a young man in his early twenties. His messy red hair was held by a black and green bandana. He yawned and scratched at the sides of his green eyes as he walked past shops. He held a paper bag filled with groceries and hanging from his back was his blue knapsack. He hummed a famous tune as he walked by a television store. Stopping in his tracks and watching the person being featured, he grinned.

"Allen Walker, it would be better if your smile wasn't a fake." He spoke so that only he could hear. He smiled once again and stretched out a hand to touch the glass covering of the store display.

"Hey! Lavi." A man's cheery voice called him. The redhead turned to see who was calling and scratched the back of his head.

"Yo! Mr. Johnson." He said eyeing the almost bald man who had called his name.

"On your way back home, I see." He says, pulling a bag of garbage out from his shop.

"Yeah" Lavi grinned and turned his attention on the television in front of him. The almost bald man beamed, observing the younger man's attention had shifted.

"You… like Allen Walker, eh Lavi?" He stated, trying not to laugh. The younger man's eyes widened, a faint blush in his cheeks appeared upon hearing the name.

"Uh, it's Mei Ling who likes him." Lavi coughed as he regained his composure.

"Ha! I see! I see! Little Mei Ling likes him." Mr. Johnson patted Lavi on the back and joins his laughter. "Oh by the way, how is she doing?"

"She's doing fine, Mr. Johnson." Lavi answered, trying to calm himself. "Well I should be getting back… it's going to be dark soon." He stated.

"Okay, say hi for me to Little Mei Ling!" The almost bald man waved as Lavi walked in another direction.

The street lights were lit one by one, it was near sunset. Lavi sighed as he advanced further into Evergreen Street. Stopping in an old building, he quickly turned the metal knob of the wooden door. He inhaled deeply before saying…

"I'm home!"

"Lavi-niichan welcome home!" A little dark brown-haired girl suddenly appeared and ran towards Lavi, her arms widely opened and a smile on her face. The older man knelt and hugged his little sister.

"Hi Mei-chan!" He patted the little girl's head.

"Lavi-niichan, can I carry your bag?" She asks, making Lavi blink.

"Nah! I can carry it, don't worry."

"But I want to help Lavi-niichan!" Mei Ling pouted.

Lavi and Mei Ling, although they weren't really related by blood, treat each other as siblings. Five years ago on a cold snowy winter night, as Lavi came back from work, he saw the little girl unconscious and freezing to death. Without hesitation, he carried her to his apartment and took care of her. From that day on they were together. Lavi really had no family of his own, probably that's why he ended up in downtown Green Meadows, one of the slums of the city. He worked multiple jobs but never found a stable one. He was able to live in an old apartment complex in downtown Green Meadows, thanks to an old Chinese man, named Pahn Dah Jiji. He stays there along with other boarders that seem like his own family now.

"Sure, but that is if you could carry it." Lavi handed the bag to his little sister only for her to be squashed by it. Lavi couldn't help but laugh at his little sister. Mei Ling gave up sometime later and decided to carry the bag of groceries instead.

"So what did you do today?" Lavi asked, climbing up the staircase of the apartment building along with Mei Ling.

"Awhile ago I did some fortune telling and… uhm…OH! I watched _D. Gray Man_ with Grandpa Jiji!" Mei Ling squealed acting like she just saw a person whom she really liked. _'I knew it…'_ Lavi sweat dropped.

"What happened this time?" Lavi popped another question and made his sister's eyes sparkle. D. Gray Man has been Mei Ling's current interest for the past month. Actually it's been on the hot seats for the whole year now. According to Mei Ling, it was first popularized by a Japanese comic and has since been adapted into an animation. After being such a huge hit, not only in Japan but also in other countries, an international production company, D.O. Productions decided to make a live-action movie series of said comic, which was now on going. This had made Mei Ling's liking into an addiction and she had dragged her older brother with her.

"Oh you should have seen it! Keisei-sama protected Nell-sama from that goofy Akuma!" She replied, her eyes sparkling even more.

"Keisei Ryou?" Lavi scratched his head and received a glare from the little girl.

"Yeah, the one who called Nell-sama a bean sprout." She giggled, stepping onto the next step.

"Hmm… can't remember who he is." Lavi sighed. He somehow regretted that he had not watched it with Mei Ling. At the start, Lavi did not really enjoy watching it because it was too simple for him. Usually he would prefer something involving suspense and action or a comical film, but something in that movie had caught his eye.

"Lavi-niichan, are you okay?" Mei Ling asked, and Lavi quickly regained himself.

"Y-Yeah." He replied.

"Are you really sure?" The little girl pouted again.

"Yes" He nodded.

"Are you really, really sure?"

"Yes I am."

"Really, really, really, a hundred percent sure?"

"Yes!"

"Are you day dreaming about Allen Walker again?" A voice from behind him asked.

"Yeah I am," Lavi paused, he blinked in stupor before he understood what he had just said. A blush quickly crept onto his face and he almost lost his balance, luckily, he got hold of the wooden ledge of the staircase. Mei Ling started to laugh loudly.

"Lavi, you really _do_ like Allen Walker, come on, admit it." He heard the voice again. This time it seemed quite amused. Lavi popped a vein and quickly turned to see where the voice came. The voice appeared to have come from one of the boarders, a small woman with slightly orange hair, she wore a purple Chinese hat that matched her silk garment.

"No Fou I don't!" He sneered, Fou and Mei Ling laughed at the redhead's expression.

"Oh did I hear right? Lavi has a crush on Allen Walker."

"Yes, I think I heard it too."

A pair of voices joined them. They were the other boarders, two Chinese men by the names of Likei and Chaoji, Lavi popped another vein as he caught sight of another pair teasing him.

"Not you too, Likei, Chaoji!" Lavi groaned.

"Yup! You heard right. Lavi-niichan is thinking about Allen Walker _again_." She stuck her tongue out at her older brother. Lavi gave her a 'you're-so-dead-later' glare.

"Told ya! Lavi, admit it." Fou said, a smirk visible on her face.

"It's not like tha—"

"You three give the kid a break…." Jiji appeared, puffing a smoking pipe. The old man was smirking at him.

Lavi was secretly thanking the old man that had come to save him from those three. He was about to crack and yell but it was good that he came just in time.

"Aw! It was fun teasing him. We almost got our revenge." Fou said.

"Yeah, you're such a spoil sport, Jiji-san." Likei frowned and walked to his apartment door.

"Lavi, I'm not done with you! You hear me!" Fou ran to her apartment, leaving Mei Ling and Lavi sweat-dropping at her drama. Jiji only sighed, thinking of the idiocy of his boarders.

"Jiji-san, thanks!" He grinned. The old man nodded in reply and trailed off to his apartment. Lavi and Mei Ling did the same, and trailed off to their home.

It was almost seven thirty in the evening when Lavi started to cook. Mei Ling softly sang one of Allen's songs while waiting for her brother to finish cooking their dinner. Lavi, although he was cooking, was listening to his sister.

_I understand them,_

_I understand your feelings  
I'm telling you this from my heart  
Rather than with these kind words  
I want to send you this song_

_I like you to see the cherry petals as they fall_

_They are dancing under the spring sun_

_Look! Look at them!  
All I can do right now is...  
To send this song to you..._

Lavi could not help but smile, hearing the song that his sister was singing. He believed that every single word of every song had a meaning that the singer wanted to express. In this case, Allen wanted to express this gratitude to the people who supported him.

"Lavi-niichan… can I ask you something?" Mei Ling asked as she finished the singing the current song.

"Hmm?" Lavi replied while chopping some vegetables.

"I just noticed, Nii-chan. Allen's songs used to be so happy before and now…they're kind of sad. Do you think he's okay?"

Lavi's eyes widened and he paused. Mei Ling blinked as she noticed her brother's movement stopping, only to hear a sigh from him.

"Well, I don't know," He quickly said and resumed his cooking. Lavi knew that Allen Walker was trying to say something but was unable to say it directly. Lavi could only pity him, he knew that whenever he would smile, it was always a lie. Lavi knew that Allen was wearing a mask to hide what he really felt. He was not sure though how he saw it but no matter how he looked at him, he could only see a boy that lied to himself and his feelings.

"Mei-chan," Lavi turned to his sister. "Let's just hope he's okay."

--

"Allen-kun, are you hungry?" Lenalee asked, turning to her companion who was holding a lot of paper bags.

"Huh? No…." Allen's stomach grumbled. _'Is my own body against me?'_ He thought to himself. Lenalee could only laugh at Allen's expression, though it was hidden because of his sunglasses and cap. She could see right through the younger teen. She knew if he was happy or sad, whether he was hungry or not. She knew Allen too well.

"Well let's eat then, don't worry, it's my treat." Allen nodded and followed Lenalee.

The dark-haired girl led him to an Italian restaurant in a corner of the shopping mall. Allen felt himself become even more exhausted and tired, but somehow he forgot some of his problems. He had to secretly thank Lenalee for asking this favor from him. He was able to forget his problems with Tyki and enjoy life once again.

Moments later, a waiter approached and handed them menu cards. While waiting for their order to arrive, Allen took out his phone, wondering if Tyki had received his messages. _'Tyki… are you really avoiding me? Please… don't.'_ Allen stared at his phone.

"Allen-kun?" Lenalee shook the younger teen's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Oh sorry!" He forced another smile as he slipped his phone to his pocket. "I kind of spaced out." He said. Lenalee smiled weakly.

"Allen-kun there's something I've been wanting to ask you." The dark-haired girl looked at him straight in the eye. Allen felt somewhat uncomfortable, he was used to seeing a cheerful Lenalee, not at all like the one who was being so serious right now. Still, Allen remained calm.

"What is it?" Lenalee paused for a moment, thinking of her question carefully before speaking. She really wanted to ask him if their relationship was going well but she already knew the answer. Oh how much she wanted to tell the boy again to leave that man, a person like him does not deserve Allen. His pure heart and innocent soul deserved much more than that, he has suffered already and that was enough.

"Allen-kun… how does it feel to be _Nell Quipster_?" Lenalee grinned as she eyed the white-haired teen. She could not do it in the end, she could not tell him that. Allen was surprised, he had expected Lenalee to ask something about him and Tyki, but she asked about something else instead. _Nell Quipster, the protagonist of D. Gray Man?_ Allen wanted to laugh but he chose to remain calm.

"Uhm… tiring, I guess. It's more tiring than singing." He gave a weak laugh and fixed his sunglasses to prevent them from falling off. The green-haired girl giggled.

"I watched you guys from the set last week. You guys were awesome!"

"Oh thanks." Allen smiled. "You were too, when you broke that _Kamurin_ with the dark boots."

"It's only because the special effects department made it cooler but I like _Rina's_ character." Lenalee smiled. "It was so dramatic when Keisei protected you from that Akuma, he was already injured and he still blocked that attack!" Allen sweat-dropped. "Keisei Ryou really matches up with Kanda-kun. He's really good." Allen nodded.

"I don't really like Keisei Ryou's character…" Allen spoke.

"Why?"

"He called Nell a bean sprout and a gutless worm, plus he's arrogant, rude and he always threatens _Levi_ with his Mugen." Allen snorted. _'He's like you and Kanda-kun.'_ Lenalee thought to herself and giggled.

"Oh you've read the new script?" Lenalee asked.

"Yeah but I heard they have a problem with _Levi's_ actor so we're going to move on to further episodes."

"What kind of problem?" Lenalee asked, noticing that their food had already been served.

"The one who was supposed to play _Levi's_ character doesn't want to dye his hair red, his manager also said that there's going to be a conflict in his schedule if he plays _the bookman apprentice, Levi_." Allen got a cup of tea and sipped a little.

"Oh, so that's why Brother and Bak-san are troubled." Lenalee and Allen sighed.

"But I guess the show is still going to push through." Allen smiled as he sipped again.

"Yeah, speaking of conflicts in schedule, I heard you're having a concert again."

"Well yes." Allen replied as he started to eat his food.

"Gosh, when I asked brother if you were busy, he really meant it." Lenalee frowned.

"I am busy but I have to thank Anne-san for fixing my schedule."

As the two ate, Lenalee tried her best to make Allen forget about his problems for the moment. She wanted Allen to be able to smile like he used to. She wanted to see it again, that radiant smile of his. Even just a glimpse of it was enough for her; just to know that the Allen she knew was still there.

The white-haired teen knew about Lenalee's plan, he knew that she lied about her favor just to make him forget about his problems. Lenalee always acted as his older sister, and for that he could not be more thankful to her.

After finishing their meals, the two decided to call it a day. Allen drove the dark-green haired girl back to her house. It was almost ten o'clock in the evening when they arrived. Somehow Allen wanted to thank Lenalee for inviting him to do this 'favor' for her brother, it served as a break from his busy life.

"Lenalee, thanks…." Allen spoke as he stopped by the gate of her house.

"For what Allen-kun?" She blinked in confusion.

"For inviting me to take a break from my busy life." He gave a faint smile. The girl's eyes widened, _'How did he know?'_ Lenalee asked herself but she did not mind as long as he was happy.

"It was nothing, Allen-kun." She replied with a smile. "And besides, I think you needed it." The girl opened the door of Allen's car and got off. Allen decided to help her with her shopping bags as she got them out from the back trunk.

"Before we part, can I ask you something?" Lenalee spoke.

"Of course." He shut the back of the car's trunk. Lenalee hesitated before she spoke but decided it was best for Allen to think about these things. No matter how painful it would be, he really needed to think things over.

"I know it's kind of awkward, but please think about what I'll say." Allen looked surprised. "Are you… are you really happy with Tyki, are you really happy to spend your life with him?" Lenalee spoke bitterly. She had been avoiding this topic all day and now she was the one who brought it up. Lenalee could not help it anymore, she really hated Tyki Mikk for doing this. She wanted Allen to realize that Tyki was only playing with him. She wanted to tell him these words, and yet…

"I am." Allen replied simply. Lenalee could not be more stunned, Allen was willing to sacrifice everything for that man. Lenalee wanted to cry but she could not, _would not_, she needed to be strong. She was worried for Allen but she could not do anything more since love was her enemy in this battle.

"Don't answer this so simply! I know that you've been suffering all this time—"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" Allen yelled, the girl gasped in surprise, holding herself from crying. "I love him and that 's not going to change…" Allen clenched his fist. He had known this would come, Allen knew that Lenalee cared for him. He liked her as a sister but when it came to Tyki Mikk, she was plain annoying. She meddled in his life, and Allen found that very irritating. "Look, I appreciate what you're doing… but please don't interfere with us anymore. I know you're worried about me, and I know that you know what's happening to us, but I'm begging you, stop involving yourself." Allen quickly strode to his car.

"Allen-kun! He's… He's just toying with you! Can't you see that?!" Lenalee covered her mouth, she had not meant to blurt it out. She just said the very thing that she was trying not to say directly. Lenalee could no longer hold back her tears. They were flowing with sadness and pity for Allen. There was an awkward silence between them, Allen stopped in his tracks and looked straight at her. Lenalee gasped once more, all of the teen's rage just moments ago had gone. There was no trace of the person who had yelled at her. Only that smile… that pure smile was seen on his face.

"If that is what Tyki thinks of me then… I won't mind, I will still continue to love him." And with that, the white-haired teen drove away, leaving a sobbing girl under the dark night sky.

--

When Allen returned home, he was very troubled. Lenalee's words kept haunting him, as if his conscience was telling him that he lied when he said he did not mind. He wanted to bang his head on the wall and pass out. His thoughts were driving him crazy, he wanted it to go away… he wanted to scream and break things. His head ached as if it was about to split open from frustration. He wanted to get away from it. He wanted it to stop…

"Hello… Allen." Allen's body stiffened, he knew that voice and he knew who that was.

"T-Tyki?"

**End of chapter**

**A/n: **Thank you Luzopi-san! XD really… thank you! Gosh, I finally posted something, though the concept of Allen being a star isn't really new anymore sweat drop I hope you enjoyed it. Also I used Kimi Ni Okuru Uta by Koike Teppei for the song, its really good. Well thanks again!


	2. Lies

**A/n: **First off, thanks for everyone who reviewed, though some got a little angry… (Sweat drop) Also in this fanfiction, Lavi has his two eyes and Allen's arm is normal and he doesn't have a scar. Okay you can read now, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray Man nor it's characters.**

**Behind Fake Smiles**

**Chapter Two: Lies**

--

_When Allen returned home, he was very troubled. Lenalee's words kept haunting him, as if his conscience was telling him that he lied when he said he did not mind. He wanted to bang his head on the wall and pass out. His thoughts were driving him crazy, he wanted it to go away… he wanted to scream and break things. His head ached as if it was about to split open from frustration. He wanted to get away from it. He wanted it to stop… _

"Hello… Allen." Allen's body stiffened, he knew that voice and he knew who that was.

"T-Tyki? " The white-haired teen's eyes broadened, shocked to see this particular man in the dead of the night, with an angry expression spread across his face. The white-haired teen felt fear slowly enveloping his thoughts. "I-I… tried to call you s-s-several times today b-but you didn't—" Allen could not longer finish his sentence as Tyki forcefully grabbed his right wrist and pinned him to the wall, rendering the younger one immobile. Allen could only gasp as his eyes slowly filled up with tears, his breath becoming jagged as his eyes avoided the man's glare.

"True, but you didn't tell me you were going out with that _whore._" He snapped. "Look. At. Me!" Tyki demanded, his tone filled with anger, but the younger one was too afraid. His mind was completely devoured by fear, he could not move, he could not breathe.

"Allen, remember what you were before you met me… a helpless child waiting for his death." Tyki lifted Allen's chin to face him, yet the teen's eyes were directed elsewhere. This made him frustrated. "All those years I've been caring for you and this is how you repay me?" In a swift motion, Tyki grabbed Allen's waist and drew him closer to him, forcing a bruising kiss. Soon he tore open the teen's black shirt, exposing his pale chest.

"I love you, Allen. Don't ever do this to me again…." He whispered. Allen shut his eyes as he felt Tyki tugging his pants off. Allen did not struggle, for he did not want to anger the man anymore. If this was the only way to let Tyki be happy then by all means Tyki could do as he pleased. Tyki was important to him, he could never afford to lose him.

'_Allen! He's just toying with you! Can't you see that?!'_

Allen's eyes flew open. Lenalee's words haunted his mind once again, tears slowly streamed down his face, questions clouded his mind, and his heart ached once again. _'Could Lenalee's words really… be true?'_ He asked himself repeatedly as he heard Tyki's voice calling his name again.

"Allen, remember this… you are mine and only mine. I won't let anyone else have you."

"I… understand."

--

Allen woke up the following morning, memories of last night flashing through his mind. His body ached as he noticed he was alone in his room. He raised his right hand slowly and placed it on his forehead.

"Alone… again, huh?" He told himself, staring at the large glass window covering his veranda. Sunshine slowly crept from it and soon, rays met the white-haired teen's face. He smiled before tears misted up his eyes again. "Lenalee… I'm sorry, but I still love him. Though he isn't the person I knew before, my heart still beats for him."

Allen once again raised his right hand and forced his body, despite the pain, to move towards the direction where the sun's rays passed by his face. He raised his right arm as though he was trying to reach its glowing light. He smiled once again as he remembered Tyki's soothing smile from before. He closed his eyes and let the sun's heat shroud him before passing out to the darkness again.

"Tyki…."

--

"Lavi-niichan, wake up! You're going to be late for work!" Mei Ling yelled as she shook her older brother awake. Lavi groaned at the sound of her sister, he did not want to wake yet. It was still early to go to work; it was only 9:30…

"Oh shoot!" He jumped out of bed and remembered he was supposed to be at work when 10am arrived. He quickly grabbed his clothes and rushed towards the bathroom door leaving Mei Ling sighing. Lavi was not usually like this in the mornings, in fact he was usually the one to be up early… as early as five in the morning. By that time, he was either cooking, cleaning, doing some laundry or some other household chores. But the thing about Lavi is that, no matter how early he wakes up, he has a bad habit of getting to work late.

Lavi has two jobs, one in the morning in a café in the middle of the city and another in the afternoon as a mascot in the Children's ward in a hospital. In the morning he had to take Mei Ling to school, then go to his cafe job in the city, so he always ended up late. When his job in the morning finishes, he has a couple of hours until his afternoon job starts. During this spare time, he then fetches her sister from school and takes her with him to his afternoon work.

Mei Ling sighed, thinking that it was her fault that her brother woke up late today. Last night, she had told him that they were going to do a talent presentation in school next week. It must be in the form of a play, a music performance or dance. At first it did not bother Lavi much, but when she told him that they needed a companion on stage with them he started to panic. She kept him up all night trying to think of a particular talent display, she insisted on doing a musical, since most of her classmates would be singing _My Song for You _by_ Allen Walker_. A musical play that involved a demon barber who slits the throat of his customers and a crazy woman who turns the barber's victims into meat pies. Lavi could not believe that his sister would watch something that… bloody. He surely had his neighbors to thank for corrupting the girl's mind, especially Fou and Likei. Man, they're going to get it… _**hard**_. Lavi felt too tired to argue anymore so he agreed to what his sister wanted. He would play the demon barber while Mei Ling would play the crazy woman who baked human pies, and a couple of their neighbors would play the extras.

Lavi stormed out of the bathroom several minutes later, fully dressed but without his usual bandana. He grabbed his blue knapsack from the nearby chair and snatched an apple from the table. Mei Ling was waiting for him in the couch with her pink bag, ready to go to school. She giggled at the sight of her brother rushing to do his morning routines in a hurry. This was a rare sight….

"Ready, Nii-chan?" She continued to smile. Lavi just glared at her but ended up smiling as well.

"Come on, let's go, I'm going to be late!" Lavi spoke, grabbing his sister's hand and rushing towards the door, quickly locking it. Old man Jiji watched the two across the hall as he puffed his wooden pipe. Both noticed him and smiled.

"Bye-bye Grandpa Jiji!" Mei Ling spoke, waving goodbye to the old man. He gave a small smile and nodded.

--

"Crap! My boss is going to kill me! If I'm late one more time I'll get fired!" Lavi grumbled as his little sister followed him. The two rushed towards the nearest bus stop and quickly got on. Lavi usually accompanies her before and after she goes to school but because of his jobs, Mei Ling has to wait for Lavi to come fetch her. Whenever she insisted on returning home by herself, Lavi would simply refuse. Downtown Green Meadows was usually dangerous, especially when you encounter what they call _Gang Wars_. Shootouts and street battles happen often, you would be lucky just to be able to pass unharmed and alive. Lavi had to thank the old man Jiji for teaching him some tricks to protect himself in case he encountered such situations.

Upon arriving in Mei Ling's school, Lavi drops the little girl at the school gates. He reminds her to wait for him in the benches near the oak tree after school along with the ever-so-famous warning of 'never talk to strangers'. She nods and hugs her older brother before walking to the school, hearing the school bell ring. As soon as Mei Ling was inside, Lavi walked… more like ran and headed for the subway, noting that it was already 10:20am. He was really late! He quickly bought the ticket from the booth and ran all the way down; luckily the train did not leave him. He sat on one of the seats, panting and trying to catch his breath. A dark haired man recognized Lavi upon entering the train and called his name.

"Lavi!"

Lavi was startled but soon recognized the one calling him and smiled, it was one of his downtown friends Suman Dark.

"Suman, hey."

"How're ya, man?" He said as he sat beside the red head, while chewing on some gum.

"Fine. How about you?" Lavi answered.

"Been better. On your way to work?"

"Yeah."

"Where do you usually work? Some of the guys had seen ya almost everywhere." He laughed making Lavi flush from embarrassment. True, Lavi has been constantly searching for other jobs that pay a little higher that the usual. Times have been hard on them and he needed the money _badly_. He's spent all day working different jobs but it seems that when he does find a decent one, his luck turns from bad to worse.

"Don't ask," He sighed, cupping his face with his two hands. "I've been searching a job that would pay a little more, but with my luck I never seem to find and stick to one." Life in downtown Green Meadows is indeed hard and brutal. Young children are forced to work at an early age; men robbing each other, endless fighting from two sides. It never seems to stop when you're down there. Sometimes you lose your will and wish to die on the spot, but that was not easy.

The dark haired man felt sorry for Lavi and wished to help him with his problem but hell, what could he do? He's also like him with the same problem, only a little richer because of his smuggling business. If only it's that easy to make some money, if only it's easy to get money in a flash, if only….

'_**Hey everyone, Allen Walker here! Is everyone having fun?'**_

Suman and Lavi's attention focused on the small monitor above them. A young white-haired teen appeared on the screen, featuring a video of his last concert. He sang amidst the millions of people as he sang his song, they cheered him on as the music played. Their hearts seemed united with each word that was heard. The young man's face was full of joy as he waved to the crowd.

"_**YEAHH!!"**_

Lavi immediately smiled. He watched the young teen as he performed marvelously that night. He was obviously loved by everyone who watched him and he enjoyed it.

" _**Allen Walker Live in Green Meadows Coliseum "**_

" _**06.01.08 "**_

" _**8:00 PM "**_

_**GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!**_

"Looks like he's going to have a concert again." Lavi broke the silence between him and Suman. The dark-haired man turned to Lavi and blinked. He placed a hand under his chin as though he was thinking. "Suman?" Lavi looked puzzled.

'_Money, eh?'_ Suman smirked at his thought. _'I might just get my money and I know the perfect guy to help me get it.'_

"Lavi…hmm, how would you like to…make some money?" He said as a smirk played on his face. Suman knew that Lavi, even with that guileless face of his, had some tricks up his sleeve. Everyone knew that life in downtown Green Meadows is cruel as it is. If you do not know how to protect yourself or be protected, then it's better off dead than to live a life full of pain and agony. Lavi had lived there for as long as Suman knew, he was one of the youngest he knew that had survived a dreadful childhood. So there is no way he could not fight.

"I don't know. What kind of job is it?" Lavi replied, curious as to what the dark-haired man's idea was.

"Well… basically it's just a watch man's job."

"Oh… how much— exactly are we talking here?" Lavi raise an eyebrow.

"Me and the guys are going to talk about it later. I'll just call ya when all of the _planning_ is done."

"Look, if you're _planning_ something that involves us getting into jail, forget it."

"Nah! Don't worry it's a perfectly fine job."

"Are you sure?"

'_**All passengers, May I have your attention. We are approaching St. Peter, we are approaching St. Peter.'**_

"Looks like that's my stop, I'll call ya when we're ready. See ya Man!" Suman said, patting the younger man's back and leaving as soon as the doors opened. _'Why do I have a bad feeling about this?'_ Lavi thought, scratching his head.

Soon after Suman left, Lavi got off the subway train and rushed off to the cafe where he worked. As soon as he saw his boss, he was instantly… fired. Lavi could only sigh as he walked to a small park bench and sat. _'Great now what?'_ He sighed. _'I guess I have to look for another job.'_

--

_**I understand them,**_

_**I understand your feelings  
I'm telling you this from my heart  
Rather than with these kind words  
I want to send you this song**_

_**I like you to see the cherry petals as they fall**_

_**They are dancing under the spring sun**_

_**Look! Look at them!  
All I can do right now is...  
To send this song to you…**_

'_**Clap! Clap! Clap!'**_

Allen slowly opened his eyes and he lay down the microphone. Hearing faint claps from the coliseum, he immediately flushed from embarrassment. The white-haired teen saw his manager, Anne Henson smiling amongst the piles of empty chairs.

"Nice job Allen! You're going to be great on Sunday!" She shouted and ran towards the white-haired teen.

"Ah! Watch out for the—chair." Allen tried to warn her, but it was too late for she already tripped into one and rolled over the others. Allen rushed to see if she was fine as other crewmen also approached her.

"I'm okay!" She raised an arm and waved from the pile of chairs.

"Anne-san!" Allen shouted as he dug from the pile of chairs looking for his manager. Her long blonde hair was messed from the dusty chairs; a part of her thick glasses had a small crack on them. Her dark brown suit seems to have turned black from the dust she collected from the chairs. She had a lump on her head as Allen and the crewmen tried to raise her from the pile.

"Don't worry, Allen, this always happens to me." She smiled, trying to balance herself.

"Here, let me help you." Allen held up a hand.

"Ah! No, you'll just get dirty and besides I can stand, no need to worry!" She stood at once and dusted herself and fixed her thick glasses.

"You ought to be more careful, Anne-san." Allen sighed.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" She laughed. "You go take a break now! You've been practicing for four hours straight. You shouldn't strain yourself too much." She continued to laugh.

"I'll take a break later, it's still early. I still have 30 minutes. Are you really sure you're okay?" She nodded.

"Well okay, just don't over do yourself. I don't want to see you on stage looking so exhausted."

"Don't worry, Anne-san. I'll be fine." He smiled. "And besides, singing helps me relax."

Allen glanced at the blonde woman as he walked back to the stage. True, he was exhausted and his whole body ached but he wanted to forget his problems and there was only one way to forget it, and that is to sing.

Anne has been his manager for the longest time, and they were good friends. She had a tendency to be careless at times but she was a good manager with great dedication to her work. Allen was really thankful that his agency assigned a kind and hardworking manager to him. He could not even imagine one so demanding and rude.

"Excuse me, could we play _Solitude of Depths_. Please?" He spoke on the microphone. The musicians nodded and started to play his song. Allen inhaled and calmed himself as the song started to play. He saw Anne giving thumbs up just before he sang, Allen replied with a smile and proceeded to sing.

--

_**I can't recall that gentle smile of yours**_

_**In the depths of my mourning heart.**_

'_Tears fell down my eyes as I heard Tyki's words last night. He wasn't the man I knew before. He isn't the person I fell in love with. My heart ached, yet I still knew I loved him.'_

_**Someone is calling me from my forgotten past,**_

_**Asking me when I will take sorrow again.**_

'_He was my savior in this harsh world. He guided me to the light when I was in darkness. He gave me love when I _

_was unloved. He showed me compassion like no one else did. He was the only one who saw the real me behind this mask. '_

_**At this moment that will never come twice,**_

_**You are all I can see.**_

'_The only true person who cared about me. That night you saw me in the streets of London… death almost embraced me but you saved me from it. You took care of a person that no one wanted.'_

_**Why do I search the ocean depths aimlessly?**_

_**For the warmth that I should not have known.**_

'_Despite your wealth, you never thought less of me. These six years I've been by your side, wanting to repay_

_your kindness and yet here I am hurting your heart.'_

_**Swaying with the ripples, the ship of life sails on**_

_**Though no scars can be seen, it overcomes waves and advances on**_

'_But do not fear, I will keep walking the path I chose. Even though I know that I am but a mere toy to him. I took this path so I could repay my debt to him. I will go on and finish this.'_

_**Beyond the darkness,**_

_**You are all I can see.**_

'_Though I still don't understand… why I am unhappy? Why do Lenalee's words keep on haunting me like this?_

_Did I really lie to myself when I said I was happy with Tyki in my life?'_

_**I know there is a future that we will love each other**_

_**Until I take the sorrow back into my hands again.**_

'_Lenalee's words… the more I think the more they make sense, but somehow my heart really couldn't, no, it refused to believe her words, no matter how true they may seem. I'm really confused! God, if you really were there please help me….'_

--

'_Why does it feel like something is wrong with Allen?'_ Anne asked herself and bit her lip as she watched the white-haired teen sing on stage. Allen's eyes were different from how they usually looked. What she saw was like a different person singing, he was not like the usual Allen who would smile and be optimistic about things. His song was filled of sorrow and pain. Each word was meant and released from his heart. This was not the first time she had seen Allen this way, but when this happened, he was singing a joyful song, not something full of sorrow. Anne wanted it to stop, she knew something bad would happen. "Allen, stop!"She tried to call the teen's attention but he was too absorbed in the music. The crewmen stared at the blonde woman's sudden reaction and wondered. Anne immediately rushed to the stage just before Allen sang the last line of the song and collapsed on her arms.

"Allen!" She observed the unconscious teen as other crewmembers approached them; they too worried about what had happened to the boy. Allen was panting in her arms, cold sweat on his small body. He was pale and his hands were cold, he was shivering. "Allen, speak to me! Allen!" Anne yelled. _'Allen, what's happened to you? You told me you were alright!'_

"Someone call an ambulance quick!" One of the crewmen yelled and the others nodded in reply.

"Allen!"

--

Lavi yawned while staring at the sky, lying on his back with his hands behind his head. _'Man… I've been everywhere. I couldn't find a job that pays like the last one. Why did I have to be such an idiot, being so lazy to go to work in the morning, its not like I hated it.'_ He ruffled his hair and thought. _'Okay so maybe I do but still, it's the boss's fault!'_ He debated in his head. _'Why did he have to be such a slave driver!' _

There was a big difference between his two jobs. Lavi liked his afternoon job more than his morning one, why? Simple, Lavi only has to wear a rabbit costume and put some face paint and run around with the children in the ward. Since the hospital has a separate ground for them, they could shout and play for all they want. It was quite embarrassing at first but he got used to it and eventually made friends with everyone. Lavi had a talent when it comes to making people laugh and such. Though his jokes were corny sometimes, they would still laugh, laugh at his determination to make them happy. People grew fond of him, especially long term patients who came to talk with him when they could, and of course Lavi would welcome them.

"Ah! It's 12:30, time to get Mei-chan from school." He stood, stretching a bit and left.

**End of Chapter**

--

**A/n: **Anyway I felt awkward writing Allen and Tyki's…erm moment? Is that even considered a moment? (Sweat drop) I'll make it up for them somehow. The other song that I used is named, Shinkai No Koduku by Kuwashima Houko. It's a really sad song, though it was sung by a woman I really wanted to use it because it fits. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you so much for reading.

Yay! For Lavi in a rabbit costume! XD (lol)


	3. True Intentions

**Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-Man.**

**Behind Fake Smiles**

**Chapter Three: True Intentions**

**--**

"Nii-chan!" Mei Ling waved, spotting her brother waiting across the street beside a large oak tree. Lavi took notice of the little girl's voice and smiled, walking towards her as she made a dash right at him with a type of cute, bubbly energy spurt of a young girl.

Mei Ling seemed rather surprised that her brother had come earlier than usual to pick her up. Normally, he was ten to fifteen minutes late, ready to give out another very random excuse as to why he was tardy.

"So how was school, Mei-chan?" Lavi knelt down so that he was face-to-face with her, giving her a warm pat on the head.

"Well, we got to talk about next week's talent presentation, and everyone is just so excited!"

Lavi noticeably twitched. He was hoping that topic wouldn't come out today. Having to act was not the problem; he'd just have to memorize a few lines (which was easy) and improvise some movements. But to actually…sing? It certainly wasn't something he was cut out for.

"O-oh… I see." He tried to remain calm, keeping his pace steady as to not alert Mei Ling to his insecurities. However, she noticed something was off. It wasn't his face. It still had that goofy smile plastered on. Then, was it his hair? No, it was still as messy as ever with or without his bandana. That just left his eyes… He was clearly avoiding eye-contact! Ding ding! Apparently, he was hiding something from her.

"Lavi-nii-chan, is there something wrong?" Lavi froze. Mei Ling raised an eyebrow, that simple body language telling Lavi if Mei Ling had to, she would get to the bottom of whatever he was hiding from her, no matter what it took and how long.

"W-wrong? No, nothing is wrong!" Lavi started to laugh nervously. "L-Let's go!"

Mei Ling placed her hands on her hips. If there was one thing that Mei Ling knew about her brother, it was the fact that he was a terrible liar. His voice gave it away much too easily.

"Liar!" Mei Ling retorted, causing Lavi to gasp in turn. His cover was blown so easily, and by such a young girl, too! What to do now? Lavi didn't want to tell her that he had lost another job. Somehow he knew it would upset her, but what could he do? Mei Ling was stubborn; once she put her mind to something, she wouldn't let up until the end of time.

Lavi sighed in defeat. "Come on, I'll tell you along the way," he muttered, taking the girl's hand in his and leading her away to wherever his legs would take him.

--

Anne glanced worriedly at the sleeping figure lying in bed.

'_Allen…'_ She bowed her head remorsefully, clasping her hands tightly together. The blonde woman closed her eyes painfully, remembering those agonizing events that took place not too long ago. The doctor had said that Allen was most likely overcome by stress, and the only cure for it would be some good bed rest. There was no need to worry, the doctor had assured her, but just in case, he would be keeping tabs on Allen if anything were to happen.

Anne was relieved nothing too serious had happened to Allen; otherwise, she had no one else but herself to blame for his condition. Her thoughts had raced from 'He was fine just a little while ago, so why did this happen?' to 'Allen, you told me you were okay. Is it my fault that you overworked yourself like this?'

The blonde sighed heavily, yearning to bang her head against the nearest wall and die for being such a pathetic, ignorant manager. Allen was a good person. He was different from the other artists that shot up to stardom and lost the spark they once had, turning into those celebrities that entered rehab countless of times, took up drugs and alcohol, exploited sexual urges to sell CDs, and believed they were better than they were.

Allen was still the same person from back when he had first come into her care. He hadn't changed one bit. He was still the humble, kind, hardworking, and cheerful Allen Walker she grew to know and love for two years. She was truly thankful for having been given the opportunity to work with him, and was somewhat flattered that Allen, too, was proud to have her as his manager. She promised – no, she swore to God that as long as she was alive and he was still in her care, nothing bad would happen to the young man. She swore on her very life.

"Allen…. I'm sorry for being such a bad manager," she sobbed into her hands. Her shoulders trembled as the tears spilled from the sides of her eyes, smudging all the mascara she had put on earlier this morning. But she didn't care. The only thing she cared about at that moment was Allen. Suddenly, she felt something gently touch her shoulder.

"Ms. Anne…." The blonde quickly turned her head only to see Lenalee by her side along with her older brother, Komui Lee.

When had the two of them come in, she wondered. Lenalee's face seemed to be on the verge of tears as she sat down beside Anne, observing the small figure that lay sleeping on the bed. The same worried expression that was on Anne's face had appeared on Lenalee and Komui's, telling Anne that she wasn't alone. There were other people just like her who cared for Allen greatly. Otherwise, why else would a production company president and a well-known actress be here in the middle of the afternoon just to see if one of their co-workers was alright? Some production presidents wouldn't even bother making the trip, giving some lame excuse that they were too busy or were needed where they were presently. They would just send flowers with a computerized card with their name printed on it saying: _'Get Well Soon'_.

Anne quickly stood up, asking the both of them to step out with her to discuss Allen's condition. There was no need to think about it; both agreed and followed Anne out the door.

--

"Anne-san, what did the doctor say?" Lenalee bit her lip. The girl had a feeling that she was to be blamed for Allen's current state. She suspected that what she had said to him before might've set off something within Allen, forcing him to do something drastic, but whether that was a good thing or bad remained to be seen.

"He's going to be okay; he just needs some rest. The doctor said after a few days or so of observation, Allen would be released from his care." Anne gave a weak smile.

Lenalee and Komui couldn't help but feel relieved. Thankful tears rolled down Lenalee's cheeks as she threw herself into the loving embrace of her brother, sobbing all the while as she thanked God over and over again for protecting Allen.

"That's good to hear." Komui smiled. Patting his sister's back, he glanced up at the blonde woman: "Anne, could you please look after Allen-kun for a while? I want to talk to the doctors about something."

"Yes, of course; did you really need to ask?"

--

Allen inwardly groaned as he turned his head from the sight of the unfamiliar room. _'White walls; a needle attached to my arm; different kinds of flowers; and a big banner saying "Get Well Soon". That's right…I was at the coliseum, then, suddenly, everything went black. Did I collapse? Probably. If I did, then this must be a hospital.' _He jerked himself upright, pulling himself together to sit up but found something pushing him right back down.

"Allen, don't push yourself."

"A-Anne-san?" he asked, startled yet relieved to hear a familiar voice.

"Please don't exert yourself too much. The doctor said you need to rest." The blonde sat back down once again, laying the white-haired teen on the bed once more. "You collapsed back in the coliseum, remember?" A weak smile lay upon her lips. "Everyone was so scared."

"I'm sorry. I'm…really sorry to have made you and everyone else worry about me," Allen spoke softly though his eyelids were half closed. "I'll try to be more careful next time."

The blonde sighed. "Just don't make us worry like that again, please. You gave us quite a fright."

"Forgive me…." Anne smiled and brushed a few white strands away from the teen's face. "Anne-san… how long will I be here?"

"Uh…the doctor said to rest for now so… Oh yes! Lenalee-chan and Komui-san were here a while ago but they left to speak to the doctor. I think they'll be coming very soon. Oh, would you like something to eat? Perhaps an apple?" She stood up, grabbing an apple from small basket on the nightstand.

"How _long_?" Allen repeated with a sterner tone of voice.

Anne clenched her fist, stopping herself momentarily. "A week or so," she answered.

The white-haired teen gritted his teeth. It was only days away until the concert and he had to practice for it. He couldn't just stay lying here all day doing nothing. He knew he would go crazy what with _those_ stupid thoughts circulating in his head. He wanted to avoid it; he didn't even want to think about it. Heck, he was doing a great job of _not _thinking about it now!

"Allen, I've pushed back the concert date; everyone supported me on this decision since there's really nothing we can do about it…. Your health comes first and foremost."

Allen remained silent.

"Allen?"

"I'm sorry… I understand. Thank you for always looking out for me." Allen attempted a small smile, allowing himself to drift into sleep once more.

'_Allen, what's happening to you?' _Anne sighed.

--

Lavi could not explain how pathetic he felt right now. For starters, he woke up late, resulting in him getting fired and making his sister cry (Mei Ling taking all the blame like she always did). Secondly, after being fired, an unsuspecting _friend_ of his had come out of nowhere, offering him an easy job that probably had a high chance of sending him behind bars. Thirdly, not only did he force himself to accept the job that Suman Dark offered to him, but his stupid mouth even had to tell his sister about it. And lastly, on his way to work as he constantly tried to forget whatever happened to him earlier, he almost got run over by a crazy ambulance! His day couldn't get any worse…right?

"Damn you zipper!" He gritted his teeth, trying to jerk the zipper up on his rabbit costume but the darn thing wouldn't budge. He'd been doing that for the past ten minutes and he still hadn't put his face paint on!

"Nii-chan, are you okay?" Mei Ling asked.

"I— I can't zip up this zipper!" He tried again but failed. Mei Ling giggled for a moment and helped the seemingly annoyed rabbit with his costume. Apparently she did it with ease and even helped him with his face paint.

"Okay, there." Mei Ling giggled again as her brother looked at himself in the mirror. Lavi dusted off the small flecks of lint off his rabbit costume while trying to see if there was anything else wrong with it.

"Perfect! Thank you!"

Mei Ling smiled. "Oh, Nii-chan, I have something to tell you," Mei Ling spoke up, reaching into her bag and pulling out a deck of cards. The redhead raised an eyebrow though his gaze still remained on his reflection.

"What is it?" Lavi asked, dusting off the fluffy tail of his rabbit costume, making his long rabbit ears bounce in the process.

"Remember that ambulance that almost ran you over?"

Lavi's eye twitched.

"Yeah, what about that _crazy_ driver?" he retorted, glaring at Mei Ling who laughed it off nervously. She shuffled the cards deftly in her hands, pulling one out. She grinned.

"I overheard the nurses saying that someone famous was on it."

Lavi paused for a moment before replying with a flat….

"Oh."

"What do you mean 'Oh'? Aren't you excited? What if it's Kanda Yuu or Allen Walker? I'll finally get to see someone famous!" Mei Ling squealed, tapping the deck on a nearby table.

Lavi threw her a bored look and started to fix his bag. He pulled out a key from it and opened a locker to dump their things in.

"Why would I be excited? So what if he's here? Did you already forget? He almost ran over me. What if that ambulance _killed_ me?" Lavi gulped, closing his locker. "And besides it's _impossible_ to get near those people."

"Well, luck seems to be getting better. Look!" She held up the card she had just taken out from the deck, letting the redhead see.

Mei Ling had some natural talent in fortune telling, Lavi knew, along with the other borders. Her predictions were always so accurate, coming true as if they were wishes granted by God. Lavi discovered this when Old Man Jiji asked the little girl if he could read her fortune and she agreed. She was instantly fascinated by the whole thing and asked the elder to teach her. It didn't take long before she herself could read their meanings and translate it to others. The old man had given that deck to her as a present for her last birthday and she had been at it ever since.

"Uh… an inverted Wheel of Fortune?" Lavi scratched his pink nose. "Isn't that bad?" He gulped again.

"Not really, since your luck did start out bad," She smiled awkwardly. "Being inverted may mean that you're about to be lucky." She smiled and slid the card back into the deck.

"I seriously hope you're right." Lavi sighed. "Well, shall we? St. Francis Medical Hospital's children's ward is waiting for us." Lavi held out his rabbit paw to Mei Ling. She nodded and slipped the deck of cards into her small pouch before taking his paw into her hand.

--

Tyki sat silently across the wooden billiard table, his chin resting on the base of his palm while his other hand cradled a half-empty wine glass. A sly grin was plastered on his face as he twiddled with the stem of the wine glass.

"Lord Mikk," a voice called in a seemingly Chinese accent. The stranger approached Tyki and sat a seat away from him. Tyki ignored him, tilting his head to the side a bit. "Forgive me, but I overheard that Mr. Walker was rushed to the hospital earlier; is that true?"

"Yes," Tyki replied. "You heard right. He's in St. Francis Medical Hospital, if you wish to visit him."

The Chinese man immediately sighed, gesturing to the waiter to get him something to drink. "You haven't changed one bit, Lord Mikk."

Tyki placed his hand down. His grin grew into a smirk and he eyed the man beside him.

"Is that so, Lord Hua Xiong?"

He sighed. "I suppose you've been playing with him again." He mumbled some Chinese words that only he could understand. Tyki raised an eyebrow and placed the glass on the wooden table.

"You could put it that way… Does it bother you that much?"

The Chinese man paused for a moment. "I only pity him." The dark-haired man chuckled, quite amused by the Chinese man.

"I can't understand why you would treat him like that. Humans are not something you play with – if history has taught us anything." A waiter returned at that moment, bowing and handing Hua Xiong his cup of oolong tea before turning away to leave the two men to their private conversation.

"My, my, are you _interested_ in him?" Tyki chuckled.

"Yes, in a way, but it's not what you think. I'm surprised a person could look so unique and rare – in both mind and soul – to be able to bear so much resemblance to a precious stone or an ancient artifact of the past."

"Rare? In what way? My uncle had taken him from some random street when we were in London. I just thought he'd be a nice thing to play with."

"If he was an artifact, I would have bought him no matter how much his price would be. His skin is so similar to the ancient porcelain vase in my collection from the Ming Dynasty; his eyes and hair is like the finest shade of the rarest gray jade I've ever seen. If I only had the chance, I would, without doubt, buy him from you."

Tyki laughed but the man ignored him. The dark-haired man stuck out his tongue.

"He's not for sale, Lord Hua Xiong. He's _mine_."

"I knew you'd say that."

Both men laughed.

"My, Lord Mikk, it is time for us to leave." A servant approached and bowed to him. Tyki raised a hand and he backed away.

He sighed, straightening his suit briefly before grabbing his hat and cane from the servant. "If you'll excuse me, I have to visit Allen. Good day to you, Sir Hua Xiong." He started for the door.

"Lord Mikk… Bear in mind that people shouldn't be taken lightly. In your case, I suggest to you to stop playing with the boy. He might be the downfall of you." The Chinese man lectured, his words somewhat stern and serious.

There was a moment of silence and none of the two dared to speak. Tyki just stood there and faced the Chinese man. "Out of all my uncle's friends, please allow me to tell you that you are the one I respect the most; however, I suggest to _you_ to stop meddling into people's affairs. It may lead you to _your _premature death."

Hua Xiong stiffened. There was a sudden change in atmosphere in the room. This man was different from the Tyki Mikk he knew. This man had the unmistakable aura of a person who would eradicate all that stood in his way as long he got what he wanted. It was like another persona came out from the silent man a while ago.

The Chinese man stood there silently, still as a bamboo shoot. Tyki smiled once more and tipped his hat.

"Well, goodbye," the dark-haired man bade before disappearing out the door.

--

Hua Xiong held onto the chair for support and numbly sat down, his legs seemingly giving up on him. That man awhile ago was different from the Tyki Mikk he knew – no, what he saw was most likely the _real_ Tyki. There was a reason why he said that Allen Walker was like a rare stone, beautiful in both soul and body. It was true that he was attractive in a way that he almost looked too handsome to be a man and almost too beautiful to be a woman. Furthermore, his soul was far too innocent and true, those particular traits quite evident in his facial expressions. Hua Xiong could not bear to see him destroyed by that man; he could not bear to see those pure eyes lose their sparkle. Such a rare being like Allen Walker should not disappear.

A young boy with the ability to move the hearts of so many people and inspire them didn't deserve to be destroyed.

Hua Xiong had spent most of his years collecting various artifacts around the world to preserve a small piece of the past. Unique and beautiful things that concerned history meant much to him. His undying love for it eventually led him to meeting someone similar to Allen Walker:

A child whose green-jaded eyes and fiery-red locks resembled that of a sacred stone of Asia. His cheery deposition and positive attributes made the Chinese man fall for him, treating him as if he were his son.

He had asked himself so many times why he had done these things. They were just people – ordinary people with normal lives. Why did he have to concern himself with people he did not know? Why was he so fascinated with history that he dared to take a path so difficult? No matter how he asked, he always ended up with the same answer:

Because people make history, creating and ending it with their hands. Each person is a part of history – an individual piece so important and significant that when joined with others would form a beautiful picture.

The Chinese man closed his eyes. This was somewhat familiar to him. In his lifetime of searching and preserving, he viewed life in two perspectives: the life of a man "blessed" with the wealth of society; and the life of a man "blessed" with the wealth of Mother Nature. The figure with the wealth of the high society only translated into responsibilities and businesses that constantly dealt with money. They were people who often saw the ones struggling to make ends meet with disgust in their eyes. Hua Xiong detested those types of people: those who believed they were larger than life itself. The other figure was entirely different. They lived a life without too much responsibility – a life away from the prying eyes of contempt; from those people different from them, living a life full of people who valued life itself.

Unfortunately, Hua Xiong had already, before he even realized, become one "blessed" with the wealth of society: the types of people he hated the most.

--

When Allen woke up, everyone was gone; however, what lay left behind was a single piece of paper. It was a letter from his manager saying that she went out to the fix a few problems concerning the _Pressuproar_ with Komui and Lenalee, and that she would be back once the problem was done and dealt with. She also stated (more like demanded) that Allen should stay put in bed and _rest_.

A chuckle escaped from his lips as Allen read on further. To his surprise, Anne was not the only one who wrote the letter, but also Komui and Lenalee. This time he started to smile and laugh at their small notes below. Their notes slowly filled the teen with happiness; his thoughts of their warm presence clouding his mind. However, an abrupt tune coming from his phone made him snap out of his dazed state, quickly pulling at him to regain his composure; he reached for his cell. He was awestruck; his phone displayed a total of 272 unread messages but only one seemed to be of interest to him.

"Tyki…," he whispered to himself. Tears quickly formed in the back of his eyes and fell down his smooth face. A smile spread across his face as he wiped the tears from his face and fiddled around with the buttons on the phone to open the message from the man.

"**_Allen, what on earth happened? My assistants told me you were rushed to the hospital. Never mind; I'm coming over there. Don't do anything rash!"_**

**_-Tyki_**

Allen collapsed on the bed, curling up into a ball as his hands clasped one another while holding the phone near his chest. Tears of joy seeped out from the teen's eyes. He knew it. Lenalee was indeed lying when she told him that Tyki was toying with him. He, too, was wrong to say that Tyki had changed over the years. It was wrong of him to doubt his one and only love. He suddenly felt ashamed of himself, but at the same time, he was relieved. Perhaps he was just too tired of the responsibilities and he needed a break from it all. The man he loved so many years ago still existed. He didn't care what his mind told him anymore. All he knew was that the man he loved still existed.

--

Lavi strode out of the ward, stretching his two arms high above his head. It was finally break time and he was excruciatingly relieved; being inside a mascot's costume was not an easy thing to do. Even if the hospital was air-conditioned, it still felt hot inside that thing. Plus, it was heavy. He had problems with it before but eventually he got used to it after some time.

The redhead gave an exhausted sigh. _'Oh man, what a day… I can't wait to get home,'_ he told himself, sighing once more.

"Excuse me."

Lavi stopped in his tracks, observing the tall man across the corridor in front of the Hospital's help desk. Lavi felt a strange sense of uneasiness from that man. He could not explain why but something about him was…disturbing.

"Could you tell me which room Allen Walker is in?"

The nurse who was in charge of keeping a record of the rooms flushed as she gazed at the man who was holding a large bouquet of red roses. She was about to speak but a fellow nurse beat her to it.

"W-What is your name, Sir?" She smiled apologetically with a smidge of coyness to it. "I have to check your name; only a number of people may enter his room."

"It's Tyki Mikk."

"Thank you. Please wait a moment." The dark-haired man nodded.

"Sir Tyki Mikk, he's in room 215. I have informed the security of your arrival. Have a nice day, sir."

"Thank you," he replied, smiling once again.

The nurse nodded and flushed, her eyes following the man as he walked in the direction to where Lavi was currently standing. The dark-haired man tucked a hand into his pocket while the other held the bouquet. His smile eventually turned to a smirk as he strode deeper into the hallway. Lavi saw the sudden change of his expression and frowned, both men exchanging glares until Tyki averted his gaze and disappeared into the elevator.

'_Tyki Mikk, huh?'_ Lavi frowned and started to advance but stopped when he heard…

"Oh my god! Who would have thought we'd meet _Tyki Mikk_ himself?!" one of the nurses squealed.

"Did you smell his cologne? Gosh, it's magnificent! I bet one bottle of that is worth like…like _a lot_!"

"What did you expect from a wealthy man like him? His family owns so many establishments worldwide! And since he's the only son, he inherits it _all_!"

"Oh! He must be the owner of that black Audi R8 that's parked outside! He _is_ so rich!"

"I knew that he was handsome, but he's so much more _gorgeous_ in person!"

Lavi walked past the Help desk, ignoring the love-struck nurses. _'Psh! Darn rich men!'_ He frowned, pushing his way to the lounge. If there was one thing he disliked about the wealthy was that they abused their power far too much. How, you may ask? Take this one for example: said rich man walks in and gives the women nearby a charming smile then acts all polite and – ding! – all the females fall head over heels for the guy.

'_Heck! Whatever happened to the saying about looking on the inside, not the out? Whatever! Allen Walker's connection with that guy must be something like business; otherwise, why else would he be here? It's not like they're close or…anything… But what was with those roses? …Could it be that…? Eh?! Lavi, what the hell are you thinking?!' _The bunny clutched his head, attempting to slam his head against the wall.

"That man is Allen-sama's _lover!_" he heard the same nurse from before squeal. "He's the person behind Allen Walker's inspiration for his songs! He must be that guy whom he spoke of during his press conference – _the one who got him inspired to write!_ It's so romantic!"

Lavi froze.

"_**WHAT?!"**_

**End of Chapter**

**--**

A/n: I seriously have to thank **ritachi**-san for beta-reading this chapter and also to apologize because I'm sure I gave her a huge headache. But still thanks ritachi-san! :D

I apologize for the late (super late) update and I hope you guys will forgive me? I had a hard time picking a title for this chapter and I'm not even sure if it does fit. If you have any questions regarding any part of the story, I'll answer it the best I could (without giving out too much)

I know its taking so long for the Laven part so don't worry its coming real soon. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Dr Melody Rabbit and his Legion of Pats

**Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-Man.**

**Behind Fake Smiles**

**Chapter Four: Dr. Melody Rabbit and his Legion of Pats**

**--**

'_It's so warm.'_ Allen elicited a groan. _'Someone is playing with my hair….'_ He tried to shoo the hand off but ultimately failed in his attempts. He tried once more but this time he heard a light chuckle. Far too lazy to open his eyes, Allen let whoever it was keep doing what they were doing, since, after all it felt good. The sensation of something warm and gentle stroking his hair; the feeling of his head laid on something soft – this was completely different from the hospital beds that were cold, uncomfortable and creepy. No matter how many times people sanitized the place, it still gave birth to an eerie feeling within him.

Allen groaned inwardly, subconsciously wrapping his arms around it only to receive a soft gasp followed by the same titter from before.

Allen grew suspicious. He didn't know if this person was someone he knew or just some random person that somehow gained access to his room. He hesitated to open his eyes yet again and debated in his mind whether he should obey or ignore his curiosity. He concluded that the person had to be either Lenalee or Anne; otherwise, who else would be allowed in his room so easily? It was nearly impossible for any unauthorized persons to enter no matter how hard they tried. Komui Lee made sure of that.

Allen's grip tightened and soon, he heard a sigh. "Looks like _cheating boy A_ is having a good dream."

'_Did I hear right? Did he just call me cheating boy A?!'_ This time Allen made no hesitation to open his eyes.

"Oh you're awake!" He was greeted by a smile coming from a dark-haired man. "Forgive me; I think I woke you up—"

Allen immediately embraced the older man, his eyes tightly shut and arms wrapped around the other's neck.

Tyki blinked, surprised at the gesture.

"I'm sorry!" Allen started to sob. "I'm sorry!"

The older male blinked for a moment and then smiled, embracing Allen back warmly. He gave Allen a warm pat before pulling away in order to face the young star.

He shook his head. "Silly boy, what are you apologizing for? I should be the one saying that." He caressed Allen's cheek lovingly, gently wiping the tears away from his eyes.

"I-It's my fault! It's not— I was stupid— I—" Allen was abruptly cut off with a finger pressed to his lips, which prevented him from speaking any further. The man shook his head once more as Allen blinked in confusion.

"Forgive me for what I did yesterday. I shouldn't have reacted that way. I shouldn't have hurt you. I'm sorry…"

The white-haired teen could not restrain himself anymore. He broke into tears at the same time that he had begun to laugh just a bit; he wanted to be held close by the older man and tell him that it wasn't his fault. He wanted to explain the entire situation to him but his sobs and tears prevented him from doing so.

"Allen?" Tyki somehow panicked. "What's wrong? Why are you crying and laughing at the same time! I'm calling the nurse! Nurse—!"

"Tyki, no… I'm just…" He chuckled. "I'm relieved."

The older man scratched his head. "_Relieved_? You're making me feel quite guilty, so stop it. I've already apologized!" Tyki snorted.

Allen still continued to laugh and stuck out his tongue. "Apology not accepted."

"What?" The older man stood and placed his arms at his waist. "Fine! What do you want me to do so that you could forgive me?"

Allen thought for a moment and then smirked. "Hmm… Beat me in a game of poker and I'll consider forgiving you."

Tyki immediately raised an eyebrow. The white-haired teen perfectly knew he would win and he always did. Tyki was good when it came to poker but because of Allen's tendency to cheat, he never had a chance. Although Tyki _did_ cheat like Allen, Allen never seemed to call on it.

"No. If there is one thing I learned about you, it's that you're a cheat." He crossed his arms.

"Oh? Do you have any proof that I cheated in _any _of our poker matches?" Allen cocked an eyebrow, the smirk never leaving his face for a second.

Tyki grew silent and shot Allen a glare. Sighing in defeat, he reached into his pocket and drew out a deck of cards, deftly shuffling it before passing out five cards to each player. "You better not think of cheating this—"

'**_RING!'_**

Both were startled by the sound of a ringing phone. Tyki cursed under his breath, trying his best to ignore the damn thing and concentrate on the match. Allen bit his lip when it rang the second time. The sly grin on the teen's face was replaced with a sad smile for he knew perfectly well what was to happen if Tyki answered it.

Allen sighed, placing his hand of cards face-down. "You should answer that…," he told him.

"Ignore it. It's probably Lero trying to get me back to work." He stroked his chin contemplatively, clearly deep in thought.

Allen shook his head. "No, it'd be rude if you don't answer. It might be important."

Tyki sighed, reluctantly pulling out the ringing object in his pocket. He lazily stood up and informed the boy that this would just take a minute or so. He was also able to somehow threaten the teen to not even think about looking under his cards.

Allen nodded, smiling as the older man strolled out of the room.

Tyki quickly searched for a place that could provide him some privacy, and found an empty hallway right across Allen's room. He made his move to answer the ringing phone.

"_Tyki-tama, where are you?! Why weren't you answering our calls! Road-tama is looking for you-Lero!_" Lero, one of Tyki's henchmen, screeched as soon as Tyki answered.

The dark-haired man anticipated this situation and immediately drew back the mobile phone away from his ear; otherwise, he feared the possibility of losing his sense of hearing would come a lot earlier than he'd anticipated.

"Lero, you don't have to shout." He sighed. "I'm currently with Allen, so make this quick. What is it that my dear cousin wants from me?" he asked.

"_Lero-lero… Please wait for a moment; I'll direct your call to her…._" Lero whispered.

Tyki cocked an eyebrow, curious as to what the little girl wanted from him.

--

There was a still silence before all the nurses turned to Lavi's direction. They were all curious as to why he had suddenly yelled in the middle of the hallway.

Lavi merely laughed off their stares nervously, scratching the back of his head before apologizing about disrupting the peace.

"Lavi, is there something wrong?" one of the nurses asked, having just approached the flushed individual. She tilted her head to the side, making her long brunette hair fall gracefully over her shoulders.

Realizing she was talking to him, Lavi immediately snapped himself from his thoughts and regained his composure. "Ah, n-nothing! It's nothing, Chomesuke. Well, actually, can I ask you something?"

She nodded.

"Allen Walker and that guy with the beauty mark on the face – a-are they lovers?" he asked in a voice a little above a whisper.

The nurse stared at him for a moment and then nodded. "Hmm, but rumor has it that they're not getting along quite as well as they used to. Trouble in paradise."

"Oh…." He cocked an eyebrow and then sighed, somewhat relieved. "Uh, well, I guess I'll be going. Thanks, Chomesuke." He waved at her and disappeared into the nearest door.

"Lavi... "

--

Lavi panted upon reaching the employee's lounge. He quickly closed the door and collapsed into the couch. An expression mixed with shock and embarrassment lay written all over his face. He was rather surprised with the way he had reacted; he usually was the one who liked to joke around, rarely paying much mind to what people had to say about others, especially the little gossips that nurses liked to make.

As he finally caught up with his breath, the redhead unzipped the upper half of the rabbit costume. Underneath, he revealed a black t-shirt and a bracelet made of ribbon that wound around his left wrist. He took off the rabbit-ear headpiece and laid it on the table by his side. He took out a clean cloth and hastily wiped the paint off his face. Then, and only then did he sigh loudly, recalling some of the incidents that had occurred earlier.

Underneath his breath, he mumbled something about how the day turned out so horrible and that all he wanted to do was to get home ASAP so he could rock himself to sleep. He pondered during this time about how some events could happen so fast that one could not keep up with them anymore. His precarious thoughts, though, were interrupted by the door creaking open to reveal none other than the silhouette of a young girl.

"Lavi-nii-chan, I've brought out our snack!" Mei Ling quickly ran towards her dazed brother with two lunchboxes in tow. The redhead stared at her blankly, giving her the impression that he had just woken up.

"Nii-chan, are you okay?" Mei Ling asked.

"…Yeah," he replied softly, a small smile forming upon his lips. He patted his sister's short, brunette head. "I'm just tired, I guess."

The girl nodded sympathetically, returning the smile with one of her own that was bigger and broader than Lavi's.

"Nii-chan, is it okay if I share my snack with Jean and Leo?" she asked, taking a seat next to Lavi.

"Sure, just as long as you don't make a mess. You know how the head nurse will kill us if we did…."

Both gulped.

"I won't; I promise!" She held up her hand in vow and the redhead gave her his permission.

"Lavi!" Chomesuke suddenly burst through the door, panting heavily and hard. Lavi almost jumped from the sheer volume of her voice, turning to her confused and somewhat worried. "Lavi, you have to come! Allen Walker, he's—"

--

Tyki reluctantly leaned against the wall, debating whether he should just hang up or wait for an answer. His patience was slowly wearing thin just by waiting for Road. He already had so little time to be with his adorable little toy and yet here he was wasting it waiting for Road to speak to him.

'_Well, so much for an important thing to say.'_ He frowned.

He was just about to hang up when he heard a voice finally come from the other end.

"_Yo, Tyki, sorry about that!_"

"Road," the man sighed. "What took you so long? Ah, you know what, never mind. So? What is it that you wanted to say to me?"

"_I got caught up with something; my bad. Huh? I had something to say to you?_"

Tyki rolled his eyes.

"_I don't recall—_"

"Road, honestly, what is it?" he cut in, growing frustrated as the seconds ticked away.

"_Okay!_" She giggled.

Tyki raised an eyebrow. Road Kamelot was the daughter of one of his uncle's business friends. Definitely a spoiled little girl, Tyki saw.

Tyki held no grudge against Road since she was a decent friend— well, once you got to know her. Though, there were times she could really be annoying; take the phone call with him for an example. Plus, she held an important role in terms of business so it was best not to mess with her.

The dark-haired man sighed in thought.

"_You sure are impatient!_" She chuckled."_Hmm, I bet you're with Allen again. That would probably explain why you're in such a hurry to hang up. You know, you should treat him better; otherwise, he'll get angry with you."_

Tyki laughed. "Allen? Get angry? You've got to be kidding me!"

"_Tyki… you really are a cold person, you know that?_" She sounded amused.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"_Don't you have any genuine feelings for him? I mean, he's doing everything just to make you happy._"

"Have feelings for him?" He paused, deep in thought. "Hmm…I suppose it's only lust. Allen is just like all the _other_ people I've played with before, but then again he's a lot more fun to_ toy with than any other person I've met_." He smirked and Road chuckled into the receiver once more.

"_Oh! Well, in that case, I won't have to worry about anything anymore!_" she cheered while Tyki cocked an eyebrow.

"Worry about what, Road?"

"_Well, I was afraid you'd get upset once I told you that your uncle doesn't want you to associate with Allen anymore._" Tyki remained silent. "_I have a feeling that he still holds a grudge against those two; it's been, like, two years since Mana Walker died and he still can't get over it!_"

Tyki's eyes narrowed in thought at the spoken name. He was surprised how abruptly the name was brought up into the conversation. Mana Walker was already dead for two years. Even if he admittedly confessed that he was a cruel man, he knew it was rude to dig something up that had already been buried. His mind had raised questions about this man many a time. There were several moments when Tyki ended up recalling things he thought were of needless regard since his uncle had changed so much after this man's death. For all he could remember, Mana Walker was Allen's foster father, mentor, and a famous pianist. He was also a close friend of Duke Millennium, well, before he became the crazy man he was now. They were particularly good friends. Thinking about it closely, it was probably because of his uncle that sealed Allen's fate.

"I had a feeling he didn't approve of my relations with Allen, too, but no worries. I won't regret anything if I do get separated from cheating boy A." Both chuckled. "After all he is becoming quite a pain nowadays. I could always get a new toy to play with—"

Tyki never got to finish his sentence as screams erupted from behind him, taking away his attention from Road. He abruptly turned and drew away from his phone, leaving a puzzled Road on the other end. Recognizing where the screams were coming from, he rushed to where the sound came from only to catch sight of two security guards chasing after a young man with white hair. Tyki overcame his surprise when both suddenly yelled:

"Sir Walker, wait!"

In an instant, Tyki cursed under his breath.

--

Lavi ran from hallway to hallway; everyone was in distress. Allen Walker was missing and security had just lost him. The head nurse ordered every free hospital employee to search for the boy. Lavi really thought she was overreacting. But then again, the head nurse was a close friend of the boy so why wouldn't she worry like that?

"Allen Walker, where are you?" he asked himself as he ran outside the hospital.

The redhead quickly came to an area where no other person seemed to look. He had thought twice of going inside; after all, it was a restricted area.

The area was a garden that was under renovation, and it looked quite dangerous to tread inside. He was about to turn back when he heard a sound come from the other side of the fence. Without hesitation, he kicked it open, creating a small hole that allowed him to see the other side.

Lavi immediately recognized the figure inside and jumped in without another thought.

The person was Allen.

--

Allen ran despite the stares, gasps and the calls of the two security guards that came behind him. He didn't dare look back. He did not want to face _him_ again.

Every single word that came from him; every bitter truth that he had spoken – Allen heard it all. The white-haired teen could not explain how he felt; he just wanted to run, to shout, to cry, to laugh at himself for being such a fool for all those years. Sorrow was most certainly not the emotion that bubbled inside of him. It was more self-pity and shame.

It wasn't too long before he found himself standing in some sort of garden outside the hospital building. He had lost the two security guards not too long ago. The white-haired teen felt his legs slowly give up on him as the coldness of the wind forced a shiver down his spine. He raised his head a bit and burst into laughter though tears were still present.

"Lenalee…forgive me; you were right. He was just using me… He's not the person I had first met in London; he isn't that Tyki."

Allen could remember it clearly: that sweet and gentle smile of his; those strong and warm hands; and those fruitful words of love from him. He was completely different from what he was before. Allen didn't want to admit it but he had noticed changes in the man. However, he didn't want to doubt or press Tyki for answers. Even the questions he asked of the man, if they were evaded (as they always were), Allen wouldn't push for them. But that was the problem.

"How could I be such a fool?" He clenched his fists. "I ignored the countless warnings of my friends and now what? Damn it!" Allen let out a bitter smile. "What am I talking about? 'Friends'? No, I don't even deserve to call them my friends. I ignored them and shut them out just to be with someone who only valued me as a toy. I'm the worst kind of person there is! "

Allen could not feel his legs anymore and his sight slowly blurred. He was cold and scared. But he didn't care. He stood there, motionless, as tears continued to stream down from his eyes.

"You know, for someone who looks so strong on TV, you sure don't act like one. Honestly, what makes you think they hate just because you've ignored what they've said?" It came from a voice behind Allen, though the young man did not bother to turn away from the scenery before his eyes.

"Of course, they hate me… I chose something stupid over them," he spoke in almost a whisper.

"Nah! They _don't_. If they did hate you, they would have abandoned you a long, _long_ time ago. You sure have changed since _that_ day in the park, _Moyashi-chan._" A gentle pat in the head made him snap from his dazed state, forcing him to turn around to greet his visitor. However, he was only met with a pair of emerald green eyes before the world was enveloped by darkness.

--

Lavi caught the unconscious figure just before he fell onto the asphalt below. Carrying him in his arms, he brought him to a nearby shed as the rain began to pour. He hurried to check if the white-haired teen was all right and, with a sigh, felt a rush of relief run over him.

Lavi had heard it all. Everything the young teen had spoken. He watched him cry and blame himself for whatever happened between that Tyki person and him. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but he couldn't help it. The way the teen spoke, the way he acted, the way those eyes looked – he seemed ready to commit suicide at any moment and he had to stop that.

Lavi noted that the young artist was deeply and hopelessly in love with said man. He was surprised that a person like Allen could honestly love a heartless man like Tyki Mikk and he was more than willing to turn his back on his friends just to be with this man. It was romantic but at the same time absurd and stupid.

"So it was true, huh? Tyki Mikk and you…." He brushed away a stray strand of hair covering his face and wiped the visible tears. "Fate seems to be cruel to you, too. Man, I was thinking your life was already perfect. You certainly started well enough when I spoke to you two years ago. Guess I was wrong." Lavi heard a slight whimper from the sleeping teen as he rested his head on Lavi's shoulder.

"I'm sorry… I'm… sorry," Allen sobbed in his sleep.

"Even in sleep your problems still haunt you… Poor kid." Lavi sighed and continued to gaze upon him. He raised a hand to stroke the teen's hair, thinking that maybe it could provide him some sense of comfort. _'Hmm, I wonder if this would work for him. My pats always work on Mei-chan. Let's just hope that it can stop him from crying.' _Though hesitant at first, he decided to proceed with his actions, though in mind he could be branded a maniac for what he was about to do.

"Shh… it's okay. Don't cry; it's okay," he spoke in a calm, serene voice as he patted Allen on the head. Lavi felt the teen huddle closer to his arm as he continued to pat his head. A small smile formed on the redhead's lips as he sustained his actions. To think that the one clinging to him right now was a person who seemed to live the perfect life – a life free from problems, suffering, and loneliness.

'_Fake smiles… I knew it.' _Lavi watched silently as the sleeping figure beside him ceased his sobs.

"Mana…" Allen groaned.

"Mana?" Lavi scratched his head. _'Is he talking about Mana Walker, the famous pianist?'_ Lavi asked himself. _'You really have changed. You used to be so full of hope and determination. I can't believe it turned into this. That day I met you, you were completely a different person from who you are now.' _

Lavi could remember it as if it were yesterday. It all began on the day of Allen's first concert – a day he could never forget.

_Lavi rubbed his hands together furiously as he tried to generate some much needed heat. It was almost the season of winter back then and it was practically freezing. He was on his way to work and decided to take a shortcut through the park._

"_Brr… So cold." He shivered. _

_Lavi saw a stage set up in the center of the park, noticing the large number of people starting to gather. The Green Meadows Park was the largest park in the city and was a venue of events such as concerts, weddings, and performances. Lavi had to admit that the stage was absolutely stunning. The one performing must be someone huge, judging from the number of people gathering (though it was free admission). _

"_Gosh, I can't wait to see Allen Walker sing! I've been, like, waiting for this concert for the past two months! In England, they say he's a god," a girl not too far from Lavi spoke._

"_Yeah! He's only fifteen and he's totally sizzling HOT. Too bad his producer died a month ago, just around the time he was starting to shine."_

"_Yeah; Mana Walker. They say this concert is dedicated to him. I heard them say Allen made a new song for— Oh my god, it's him!" the girl screamed as Lavi saw the singer, most likely Allen, emerge from the vehicle._

"_Oh my god! It really IS him!" another shouted._

_Lavi immediately turned and caught sight of a white-haired boy wearing an ivory-colored coat. Lavi marveled the boy's features. Even from afar, he saw how well he suited the coming season. Those silvery locks matched the first fall of snow that was so pure and gentle, and that smile, so comforting that it left you warm inside. _

_A gust of wind made the redhead snap from his trance and at the same time, his eyes locked with the white-haired teen's. He averted his gaze and decided to hurry out of the park, thinking that he was merely wasting time. _

_That was the first time he saw Allen Walker. _

_-_

_By the time Lavi got to work, he was sent back, his boss telling him that he could take the day off since he had to work the following Sunday. Lavi did what he was told, finding himself far too distracted from thinking about the white-haired teen known as Allen Walker._

"_It would have been nice if I could have watched his performance." He smiled. "It must have been awesome!" _

_Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, picking up speed and chill. In response, the redhead placed a hand over his eyes to protect them only to have a sheet of paper caught in the updraft slap him against his arm. As fast as the wind had come, it had gone, the paper cascading down to the ground before Lavi in a graceful manner. Curiosity getting the better of him, he slowly bent down to pick it up, reading its contents on the spot. _

_He cocked an eyebrow. "Moving… On… by Allen Walker. I dedicate this song… to my beloved father, Mana Walker. Keep walking… Keep moving on."_

"_My lyrics! I can't believe I lost it!" _

_Lavi turned and to his surprise, it was the boy from earlier. He could tell that he was worried and had been chasing the piece of paper for quite some time. _

"_Excuse me, have you seen a piece of paper flying somewhere?" the younger boy panted as he asked the redhead._

_Lavi stood dumbstruck but regained himself quickly, offering a quick smile. "You mean this?" He handed the piece of paper to the young teen. The boy's eyes immediately widened and, out of the blue, he hugged Lavi. _

_The redhead was left speechless. That piece of paper must've contained something very important to him, Lavi assumed. _

"_Thank you! Thank you so much, uh-" The white-haired boy noticed that he was hugging the redhead and flushed from embarrassment. "Oh I'm sorry!" He laughed nervously, pulling away with swift speed._

"_No problem and you're welcome, Allen Walker." Lavi smiled and patted the young boy's head. He turned to walk away but something pulling from behind made him stop in his tracks._

"_You know who I am?" Allen asked._

"_Well, noticing the stage earlier had your name on it and that I sort of read your lyrics, it seems pretty logical to conclude that you're Allen Walker." Lavi chuckled._

"_Oh, the lyrics aren't mine. Well, they are, but only half of them. The other half belongs to my late… father…"_

"_I see; I'm sorry…." _

_Allen gripped the piece of paper. There was a brief moment of silence. The redhead noticed traces of worry in the boy's face. He could tell he was nervous and scared, but nevertheless, there was a spark of determination that lay within his eyes._

"_Allen! Come on!" a tall and dark-haired man shouted as he spotted the white-haired teen._

"_I'm coming, Tyki!" Allen called back and faced the redhead again. _

"_Looks like he's calling for you." _

_Allen nodded. _

_Lavi gave him a gentle pat on the head and smiled. "I know you're nervous but whatever happens, do your best and if ever you fall, never give up and move on. Be sure to make Mana Walker proud." In an instant, all trances of worry disappeared and for the first time, Lavi saw a very warm smile came from the young teen. A smile so different from the ones he saw earlier. _

_Allen Walker bade goodbye to Lavi and a few minutes later, he stood up on the stage and sang. What Lavi saw was not the worried teen a while ago but a singer who performed with grace and confidence. He would have made Mana Walker proud._

--

_When I think about my life__  
__I wonder if I will survive__  
__To live to see 25__  
__Or will I just fall?__  
__Like all my friends__  
__They just keep dying__  
__People round me__  
__Always crying__  
__In this place that I like to__  
__Call my home_

_But not everybody knows__  
__That everybody goes__  
__To a better place__  
__And not everybody knows__  
__That everybody could be living their last days__  
__But the hard times will come__  
__and we'll keep movin' on_

_We're moving on…_

_Keep movin' on…_

"_Keep movin' on_…." Lavi sang softly.

"Mana…"

Lavi promptly ceased his singing as he heard the soft whisper of the figure beside him. Allen was awake, eyes full of tears though he still hugged Lavi's arm.

'_Did he just hear me sing? I probably woke him for being off tune. Crap!''_

"Uh… hello. D-Did I just wake you up?" Lavi asked. He felt the teen slowly sit up, wiping his tears away. He smiled at Lavi and nodded. "Sorry."

"No, don't apologize. I like the way you sing." It took a moment to register what Allen said to Lavi and when it did, he turned pale.

"Are you all right?" Allen asked worriedly.

"Y-yes, I'm fine. You don't have to lie. I seriously sing like a _toad!_"

Allen chuckled.

"I guess it's nice to hear someone else sing other than myself. Well…actually, the way you sing, it reminds me of someone." He brought his legs to his chest and hugged them.

"A close friend of yours?" Lavi saw the white-haired teen grip his hands and force a smile.

"…Yes."

Lavi quickly noticed the sudden change in Allen. From the being that clung to him a while ago, crying in pain, to a being who wore the 'perfect mask'. He never thought he would meet someone who wore the same mask as he did before.

Lavi bit his lip and gripped his left wrist, memories from the past beginning to cloud his mind. He hated remembering it or even thinking about it. He swore to God that he would never go back to that lonely path, and if he ever met someone similar to what he experienced, Lavi would do whatever it took to save that person from that same cold world.

"Is it okay if I ask you a question?" Lavi asked, staring at the cloudy sky.

Allen looked at him and nodded.

"Have you ever heard of… the _perfect mask_?"

"The Perfect Mask? No, I'm sorry. I haven't heard of such a thing."

"Would you like to know what it is?"

"Sure," he replied.

Lavi immediately grinned at Allen. "It's a mask people usually create to hide what they truly feel – a mask that a person wears when they are simply too afraid to face reality."

Allen's eyes immediately widened.

"Well, to say it simply, it's a disguise meant to make people believe what the bearer wishes for them to believe; it's usually associated with smiles." Lavi patted the teen's head.

Allen brought his eyes down and started to tremble. He hugged his knees tighter and turned away from the redhead. Allen heard the other sigh, standing up.

"Y-you could… see right through me…." Allen said almost in a whisper though Lavi heard it clearly.

"Yep. I kinda heard everything you said a while ago and you honestly have to stop it unless—"

"What the hell do you know!?" Allen snapped. "Didn't anyone tell you not to interfere with other people's liv—" Allen never got to finish his sentence as he felt warm arms wrap around him comfortingly, embracing him close. Tears quickly formed and before Allen knew it, he was crying again.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Lavi spoke in a soothing voice. "Keeping everything behind that mask and wearing a smile. To never allowing people to know what you really want to say simply because you're scared of what they will think of you." Lavi felt Allen calm down and return his embrace. "I know I'm just a stranger who just happened to pass by, and I seriously know I'm interfering in your life, and I really don't give a damn about what you think of me but… but just do me one favor, okay? Take off that annoying mask and never wear it again unless you want to suffer even more." Lavi faced the white-haired teen and wiped the tears that rolled down his cheeks.

"Why… how come… you?" Allen said in between sobs.

Lavi chuckled.

"How do I know? I used to be like you, actually. Wearing a fake persona and all that. Where I grew up, you had to fight in order to survive; there are no friends or family, only you and yourself; it's either kill or be killed."

Lavi sighed and pulled away from the shocked Allen. "I trusted no one but myself. I smiled to everyone and deceived them. Before I knew it, the mask itself ate me and the more I chose to wear it, the more I hurt myself. I plunged myself into the deepest despair possible. When I learned I couldn't escape from it anymore, I resorted to something drastic. Funny thing is that it made sense to me at the time." He laughed nervously and raised his left wrist to take off his bracelet. Allen immediately saw scars and covered his mouth.

"Then," Lavi continued, "I met this old man who kinda looks like a panda and he told me to stop. He told me that whatever happens I shouldn't resort to this kind of thinking and I just had to keep moving on no matter what happens." Lavi scratched his head while Allen caught every word that spilled from his lips; his sobs having long stopped. "He took me in and taught me everything I know."

"He… He must have been a nice person," Allen spoke.

"Yeah."

"'Move on', huh." Allen smiled. "My father used to say, 'Never stop'; 'Do not give up'; and 'Keep walking until the end'."

Lavi smiled.

"I can't believe I forgot all about that. _Movin' On _is a song he made for me in order to cheer me on if I ever got confused with the path I've chosen. I remember during my first concert I had almost lost the lyrics; fortunately, there was this person who helped me find them and he told me I should do my best and that if I ever fell down, I should always get back up again. If he were here right now, he'd probably get angry at me." Allen chuckled.

Lavi almost lost his balance when he heard what Allen had just said. He didn't really expect Allen to remember that moment but somehow he was happy that he did. It just showed that Allen was different from other stars.

"Well, maybe he will, and maybe he won't." Lavi shrugged. "But I'm sure he's not the only one who would be happy now that you've remembered it."

Allen nodded. "Mana would be happy, too."

Both Lavi and Allen smiled.

It did not take long until the sky finally cleared and the sun appeared. Allen then noticed the pink costume the redhead wore and the traces of paint in his face. He grew curious though hesitated to ask. Lavi noticed the teen staring at him and grinned.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm in this fluffy outfit."

Allen stared at him then nodded.

"I work at the hospital. I'm usually in the children's ward playing with the patients; part of the job is to be this sort of undercover counselor while wearing a rabbit costume. I'm also known as Dr. Melody Rabbit to the kids." He turned and wiggled his fluffy tail.

Allen laughed.

"I suppose you got your name from the Sanrio character, My Melody?" Allen smirked.

"Well, it used to be Dr. Rabi Rabbit, but the nurses thought Dr. Melody Rabbit suits me better." He laughed nervously.

"I see! Oh, I'm sorry; I forgot to ask your name."

"Oh, it's Lavi. Lavi Bookman." Lavi smiled, outstretching his hand to Allen.

"Lavi," Allen repeated with a warm voice. "To tell you the truth, I've never really opened up to anyone until now…."

"Feels good inside, doesn't it?" Allen nodded. "Though… I guess it's kinda weird to have to open up to a strange-looking guy wearing a rabbit costume." Lavi scratched his head.

Allen immediately laughed.

"Your hand…." Allen slowly pulled Lavi's right hand and gently placed it in his cheek. Lavi could swear his heart skipped a beat when he felt his hand against Allen's cheek.

"W-What about it?" He asked, trying to stay calm.

"It's… similar to Mana's. I remember it being as warm and soft, just like yours," Allen said, still holding Lavi's right hand. "Whenever I would feel upset he'll always pat me on the head and for some reason my problems seemed to disappear."

"O-Oh." Lavi immediately grinned and patted Allen on the head. "In that case, if you ever feel you need a pat, just call Dr. Melody Rabbit and I'll come running over, patting you with all my legion of pats!"

A smile quickly spread to the teen's face and he burst out laughing once more.

'_Phew, finally a true smile! Yeah! Mission Accomplished!'_ he told himself, finally noticing the rain had ceased. "Hmm, looks like the rain stopped; we'd better get you inside then. I'm sure everyone is worried sick about you. I'll certainly be killed if I don't get you back safely. Come on."

Allen gripped his hands, his eyes staring on the floor and he bit his lip. Lavi sighed and patted his head once again. The boy immediately looked up at him.

"Uh-"

"Don't want to face your fucked up boyfriend, right?" Lavi cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes," Allen spoke softly.

Lavi sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Allen, do you remember the last four lines of the song _Movin' On_?"

Allen nodded.

"Then say it."

"_But the hard times will come/and we'll keep movin' on./We're moving on./Keep movin' on._" Allen immediately smiled and looked at Lavi with eyes full of determination. Those same eyes that Lavi remembered he had on the day of his first concert: strong and confident.

--

When Allen and Lavi got back, Anne and Lenalee came crying to Allen as they saw him approach the steps of the hospital. And then came a team of medics, and then a crowd of reporters. Allen quickly eased the worries of the medics by assuring that he was fine before searching for a familiar face in the crowd. It didn't take him long to notice a man with dark hair emerge from the mass of people, rushing over to Allen to hug him.

"Allen, oh God, I was so worried about you! Are you hurt anywhere?" Tyki asked.

Allen remained silent, glancing over at Lavi who seemed to be restraining himself from beating the man unconscious right then and there. The white-haired teen gave a reassuring smile to the redhead and told him not to worry. Lavi blinked in response and nodded.

"Tyki," Allen called, a smile spread across his face. Tyki faced him and in a split second, Allen punched Tyki square in the face.

"Tyki Mikk, I'm breaking up with you!" he yelled.

Lavi covered his mouth, preventing himself from speaking but found out hold it back for some reason. He just did not expect this at all, especially from _Allen Walker _and before he knew it, he found himself yelling…

"**_STRIKE!"_**

**End of Chapter**

**--**

My thanks again to **ritachi**-san for spending her precious time beta-reading this fanfiction. I'm very much sure I gave her another awful headache for my grammar and bad timing (Argh!). Forgive me! DX

I hope that covers up for my lack of Laven. I'll do more in the future chapters now that they've met. X3

Oh, the song I used is named, Movin' On by Good Charlotte.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

Oh and I hope they do continue the anime… they just have to end it when the twist started to appear! Thanks again! XD


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